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Shokoufe sheikhehpoor:What is mobile assessment in language learning?
What is mobile assessment in language learning? MALL:describes an approach to language learning that is assisted or enhanced through the use of a handheld mobile device.MALL is a subset of both mobile learning (m-learning) and computer assisted language learning (CALL).MALL has evolved to support students language learning with the increased use of mobile technologies such as mobile phones(cellphones),MP3 and MP4 players,PDAs and devices such as the iPhone or iPad,with MALL, students are able to access language learning materials and to communicate with their teachers and peers at anytime,anywhere. The main characteristics of mobile learning (m-learning) are recognized as the potential for learning process to be personalized, spontaneous, informal and ubiquitous. Although learning through mobile phones may take longer time compared to computers, the learners feel a greater sense of freedom of time and place, so that they can take the advantage of spare time to learn a second language when and where they are .Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) deals with the use of mobile technology in language learning. In contrast to classroom learning, in MALL there is no need for the learners to sit in a classroom or at a computer to get learning materials. In fact, MALL can be considered an ideal solution to language learning barriers in terms of time and place. 2.MOBILE 'L'EARNING, ADVANTAGES AND 'D'ISADVANTAGES'' Among all modern communication devices, mobile phones are the most powerful communication medium even richer than email or chat as it can act as a learning device despite its technical limitations. With such a learning device the learner controls the learning process and progress in his/her own space based on his/her cognitive state. Learning through the computer or e-learning enables the learners to learn in a non-classroom environment when they are at home in front of their personal computers online or offline. However, learning through the mobile phone or m-learning provides the learners with the opportunity to learn when they are in the bus, outside or at work doing their part-time jobs. In fact, they can learn every time and everywhere they are. Two main characteristics of mobile devices are portability and connectivity. As for connectivity, designing the mobile system must have capability of being connected and communicated with the learning website using the wireless network of the device to access learning material ubiquitously including short message service (SMS) and mobile e-mail. Portability enables learners to move mobile devices and bring learning materialsKlopfer and his colleagues state the following properties of mobile devices: 1) portability: such devices can be taken to different places due to small size and weight; 2) social interactivity: exchanging data and collaboration with other learners is possible through mobile devices; 3) context sensitivity: the data on the mobile devices can be gathered and responded uniquely to the current location and time; 4) connectivity: mobile devices can be connected to other devices, data collection devices, or a common network by creating a shared network; 5) individuality: activities platform can be customized for individual learner 6. The widespread influence of the market increased the popularity of the mobile phone, and this fulfills the need of teachers to provide tools and software for the learners in teaching contexts. Moreover, comparing with other wireless devices such as laptop computers, mobile phones are rather inexpensive having functions as Internet browsers available. in most devices. With such inexpensive devices accessible to even the poorest areas and having the functionalities of e-mail or SMS, it is now possible to transfer information to and from mobile phones between instructors and learners without any difficulty. Although learning service through mobile devices has some advantages, it has its own constraints as small screen, reading difficulty on such a screen, data storage and multimedia limitations, and the like. Many of the mobile phones are not designed for educational purposes. That is, it is difficult for the learners to use them for the task given by the teachers to be carried out. This is partly due to the initial design of such devices, and partly due to non-existence of such developed mobile phones. However, those devices which are appropriate for specific learning tasks are too expensive for most of the learners to buy. Thus, teachers should be aware of what kinds of tools learners have, and then set to chose or adapt resources compatible to such tools 9. In an experiment, Stockwell demonstrated that the learners found the activities take too long to complete on the mobile devices, and consequently, some of them preferred to use their PCs to do their assigned tasks. In that experiment many learners indicated from the outset that they did not intend to use the mobile phones for doing their tasks because of the cost of Internet access, the screen size, and the keypad 14. ''' 2. EXAMPLES OF 'M'OBILE 'L'EARNING'' learning technology is more useful for doing activities outside the classroom. Such activities enable learning to be more directly connected with the real world experiments. Moreover, learning through mobile phones outside the classroom has the advantage of better exploiting the learner's free time; even the students on the move can improve their learning skills 10. SMS-based learning is another development in the use of wireless technologies in education in which receiving wanted text messages supports learning outside of classroom and helps learners benefit from their teacher's experimentation with mobile technology 10. Game-based learning is another theme for mobile learning in which learning materials are so designed to be integrated with aspects of physical environment. In such environments, learning activities are facilitated using the mobile technology which serves as a link between the real world of knowledge and the visual world of the game. The m-learning games can also be used to teach second language skills such as vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, listening and reading comprehension and spelling.. ''' Learning Vocabulary The type of activities focusing on vocabulary learning via mobile phone differs from one research project to another, depending on the level of language proficiency of the learners. Sending e-mail or SMS to students is a common way of learning new vocabulary based on the lessons covered in the classroom. In a study Kennedy and Levy gave the learners the option to receive messages covering known words in new contexts through SMS to their mobile phones amounting nine or ten messages per week. The results indicated that the messages were very helpful for learning vocabulary. There are other strategies for learning vocabulary via mobile phones. Learners can be provided with some tailored vocabulary practices based on activities performed in the classroom. They are, then, asked to complete them on their mobile phones and send them back to their instructors. Learning vocabulary can also be accompanied by the pictorial annotation shown on learners' mobile devices for better understanding of new words. In a study conducted by Chen, et al., learners were provided with verbal as well as pictorial annotation for learning English vocabulary. Results of a post-test showed that the pictorial annotation assisted learners with lower verbal and higher visual ability to retain vocabulary .Listening Comprehension Listening exercises may be considered the first stage in learning a second language. With the advent of the second generation of mobile phones, it is now possible to design a mobile multimedia system for learning listening skills through listening exercises .Learning Grammar Grammatical points can be learnt through a specifically designed program installed on mobile devices, in which grammatical rules are taught, followed by multiple-choice activities where learners select the correct answer from the given alternatives. Grammatical exercises can be in the form of 'true-false' or 'fill-in the blanks' which are to be responded by the learners. Grammatical explanations may also be presented to learners via vocal service or short message .Pronounciation '''the second generation of mobile devices enable their users to access multimedia functions including listening and speaking ones. A good m-learning service should consist of speech facilities for transmitting voice. Having such facilities, the learners may download dictionaries on the PDA1 with sound functions so that they can learn the correct pronunciation of unfamiliar or new words to be able to fulfill their learning needs. Mobile devices with multimedia function give the learners the opportunity to record their own voice. Then, teachers are able to make a better assessment of the students' weaknesses in pronunciation. This way, by enhancing various functions of the system like providing a dictionary for looking up unfamiliar words and their correct phonetic form, the pronunciation as well as speaking skills of the learners can be well improved. The Praxis learning podcast line is a platform providing a context-driven, social-based, and software-enhanced website for learning foreign languages. It has recently been working to release mobile language learning features for PDAs, smart phones, etc., enabling learners to learn phonetics of a given language in an interaction way using multimedia functions on the mobile phones (Microsoft research program). The speech aspect of mobile learning is as significant as textual aspect of it, since it enables learners to comfortably speak with a system recording their voice and allowing them to listen back to themselves. Then, they can compare their voice with an ideal pronunciation and make an improvement in this skill 18. '''5.1.Reading Comprehension Reading practices help learners to enhance their vocabulary, and vocabulary knowledge, in turn, helps them to promote reading comprehension 2. Reading activities can be offered to learners either via a well-designed learning course installed on the mobile devices or through SMS sent to the learners. In either case upon finishing the reading activity, the learners are provided with a reading text function to evaluate their reading comprehension skill.